Isosight Tower, City Centre, Avenir
}} The Isosight Tower is a skyscraper situated in West City, City Centre, Avenir, England. At completion, the original Isosight Tower was the tallest building in the United Kingdom and the tallest building in Western Europe. The construction of the building also came with several subsidiaries, such as the modern Inner-city Ringway, which marked the coming of high-profile businesses and mass modernisation to the City Centre area, previously just a series of small terraced buildings, housing or residential. The intention was to take the adhesive off Blithebeth as a business capital, for it was too riddled with conservation laws to see modern, purpose-built offices be put up, and it worked; by 1977, the nearby Hologloss Towers complex was finished, containing two of the tallest buildings in the world, setting precedence for a budding new address. On March 22, 1989, the original Isosight Tower sustained crippling damage as a result of a major shorthand of maintenance floor 25, a critically important structural floor being situated between the building's upper, narrower portion and its wider, ground-level portion. Deficient generator equipment had been slowly leaking noxious gases which had built up by this date to a susceptible point, as a result of a faulty carburettor. While it is unknown what actually caused the gas to explode, it is commonly accepted it was probably the product of a spark due to the presence of electrical equipment on the floor. The explosion ignited a massive inferno engulfing floor 25 before spreading to its upper and lower neighbours; and as a floor loaded with generators, its destruction caused the deprivation of the building's power supply, leaving many occupants in total darkness, freezing elevators, and locking people into their offices. Occurring at 12:08am on this date, it was the second most widely-publicised event of the 1980s (behind the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenge, which resulted in disaster). With the fire being between floors 22-27 at its peak, the primary upper structural core was left in critical condition in the event's immediate aftermath. The building was cheap in construction, having been reliant on floors 1, 13, 25, and 37 to stand, in addition to having a gigantic metal frame essentially "wavering" as a result of the intense burning, because the entire metal trim of the structure was a single component; so, with the burning, the entire building felt some degree of damage. Most analysists and inquirers to the case observe the survival of the building was a miracle in itself, with its fruition having been held by a minimum scale budget on a gigantic scale project. The response was to deconstruct floors 22-50 due to unsalvageable damage, leaving only the lower half of the building. The gigantic steel frame, structurally unsound after March 22, was removed into pieces and used in the new frame, now coated in red granite. The event caused, in total, 301 casualties, including 23 deaths, many of which were provoked by the building being smoke-filled for some 5 hours until eventual abatement in addition to entrapment above floor 25 and in most elevators, as well as burns from the fire. =Original Building (1968-1989)= Design & Structure The original tower was built using one single gigantic stainless steel exoskeleton unit separated by panes of glass which were stacked in vertical threes respective to each floor, these panes separated horizontally by galvanised aluminium widgets. The frame itself was engineered onsite of the construction (see Construction). The building was shaped like an L with a perfectly square footprint. Aside from its exoskeleton, most of the structure was held in place by floors 1, 13, 25, and 37, which, instead of relying on the ascending weight of the floors below it, used a 90 degree truss at each corner, of weight and thickness aplenty, in addition to having thicker walls reinforced with concrete. It sat on a small ditch in the ground around 30m deep. The building's L-shape used equilateral triangular slopes sloping west on its eastern front and east on its western front. The eastern front was half the height of that of the western. A half chevron shape was visible on the exterior of the uppermost floors 40-50, with a full chevron shape standing between floors 15-25, divided into two half-chevrons by a single metal strand which dictated the upper tower of the structure from its wider base. These chevrons were windowless with a lead facade as opposed to a lighter, steel one. There were small ridges in every steel column used for the latching onto of window cleaning units. Construction Construction was separated into three phases: digging, framing, and internalising. Digging The Isosight building essentially began with the demolition of the existing West City precinct, a small neighbourhood of terraced buildings, most of which were homes for factory workers. Most of West City was pulled down in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s as the area saw mass transformation due to interest from the Inner-city Ringway development, linking the area with the south, dramatically increasing business in the area. On February 8, 1968, construction officially began, after a plot of land some 400m2 was chosen and fully cleared. A new pit — of depth 30m — was dug by workers, which included subway access to the Inner-city ringway, which had concrete-plated walls covered by murals. Unlike the neighbouring Hologloss Towers, most of the underground level was not incorporated into the final building. A massive concrete frame reinforced rigidly by steel, which befit the proportions of the metal exoskeleton which would eventually sit on top of it, was fit on each corner, with each corner containing a 90-degree truss for further support. This huge frame would be filled with layers of naturally-occurring rock up to 12m deep, where the subway would be situated. The subway access was intended for efficient entry for workers. Framing The building's metal exoskeleton was constructed onsite using stainless steel strands, attached together by small bolts and widgets effectively creating one gigantic unit to frame the structure. Workers first set columns, each around 1.3m tall, stacking them in threes, marking a height of 4m, the exact height of each floor. Another 1.3m column, this one being aluminium and therefore thinner and more shiny, would be placed horizontally to the right of this stack, attached to the same three widgets respectively used to keep the column intact, and between the 1.18m gap left would be a double-glazed pane of glass (floors 34-50 had triple glazed glass at every interval). This created the distinct oblong grid shape used on the exterior. Also as part of the framing process, concrete layers were fitted to differentiate each floor. This concrete layer was notably thin, only 28cm deep, in order to be as efficient as possible with the building's cost and 200m height cap. Internalising The internalising process was, surprisingly, the most time-consuming, as, ironically, much of this process was related to the exterior, more specifically its two rooves, as well as the aforementioned chevrons as part of the building's design. However, the bulk thereof was the appropriating of internal fixtures. A massive internal heating system was established (one of the largest of any building in the world in 1969) which included a radiator system all wired to one "mothercomputer" on floor 25; multiple generator systems were also fitted on floors 1, 13, 25, 37, and 49-50, which powered the building's advanced sprinkler system and smoke alarms, of which there were four for each floor. The roofing process was carried out by Oakland-Towney Architects, based in Ambrose Hill, who fitted a gigantic antenna spanning floors 48-50 concealed by a large 3m thick chromium-plated lead roof, of concrete base, with a small hatch and ridge for the antenna to be partly exposed, although not visible from the exterior. This antenna was used by TV broadcast company BBC, who also occupied floors 39-47. The roof rested atop the metal exoskeleton built in the Framing process, which was left at a 90 degree angle. A very resilient widget kept the roof, which weighed roughly a tonne, in place. Another roof was fitted on the eastern side of the building, of identical proportions, although lacking the hatch for an antenna; in lieu, it was fitted with a small balcony for sightseers as the upper floors were too crowded for tourist access. This platform was used by Queen Elizabeth, who unveiled the tower on July 5, 1970, its opening day. Carpets and internal painting was done as a courtesy of an independent company based in New Glencairn Town, Blithebeth. Events of March 22, 1989 For around 5 months prior to this date, floor 25 of the original Isosight Tower, a generator and structurally vital storey, had a deposit of noxious gases, which continued to build up to a susceptible level as a result of a faulty carburettor in the generator equipment. It went undetected; the gas was scentless, and with building protocol being fairly unregimented in 1989, the floor was mostly vacant, functioning largely on its own unless it was in need of a manual restart or upgrade. By midday March 22, 1989, the gases had built up to a critically endangering point, and a fire source — unknown to this day, although professionally accepted to have been a spark or electrical current from nearby equipment — ignited the entire lot, causing a massive explosion, instantly destroying all of the generator systems and ravaging floor 25, a floor of vital structural importance as it was situated between the building's wider bottom and narrower top. Floor 25, alike floors 1, 13, and 37, was much heavier than its neighbours, as floors 26-36 wholly relied on it for structural support. The destruction of the generators caused a building-wide blackout, in addition to completely locking some doors, and freezing elevators, effectively trapping occupants. The initial explosion occurred at 12:15am on March 22, 1989, with no recorded footage of the physical explosion existing, notwithstanding the ordeal being the second most widely publicised event of the 1980s, broadcasting on a global scale minutes after the initial blast. The massive force from such blast pulverised its surroundings, causing a gaping chasm on floors 24-27. With floor 22 being more-or-less destroyed instantly, emergency stairways were blocked off, also trapping people above floor 25. With elevators frozen, however, fire services could only start to tackle the blaze by around 12:39, as the nearest fire station was some 2 miles away, with men and women having to carry heavy equipment up 20+ flights of stairs. By the time they had arrived, the fire had spread to floors 22-27, and had killed 20 people already. People inside and near the building described the massive exoskeletal frame as "wavering" as the entire unit was suffering the effects of the burning. Workers on floor 20 described a "bulge appearing on floor 25", as the stainless steel's melting point was being met, causing beams to fall into a pliable, stringy state. Much of the structure was shaking; the building itself had moved around 3cm west due to the impact of the explosion. Most of the fire was abated by 14:00 pm, leaving the building seeping with smoke. The resulting remains of floor 25 were totally blackened and exposed, and many external pieces were missing. Its north face had caved slightly, tilting the upper structure by half a degree forward. The other floors affected (22-27) were similarly scorched, although damage sustenance was not over a long enough duration for melting of beams to occur, nor did they bear the effects of the explosion. Rescue efforts ensued. The entire building was vacated by 18:21 pm. A total casualty count was numbered at 262, although 39 more illnesses arose from smoke inhalation, effectively bringing the total up to 301. News Coverage Initial news coverage speculated the explosion to be the result of terrorism due to tensions with the IRA at the time. The first news station to cover it was ITV, only two minutes later, as BBC's offices were directly above the bomb impact, so this network responded later. Within minutes the event was broadcast internationally; CNN intercepted the event, so did NBC, CTV, CBC, Aaj Tak, Al Jazeera, etc. News reports were in 22 different languages. Most footage was recorded from civilians at the base of the tower, and from news helicopters flying by. No footage exists from above the impact floor. Response The immediate response from dignitaries and the Civic Council, which owned the building, was to deliver an enquiry into the background of the event, deeming it to be the fault of a defective carburettor. This conclusion was drawn because the carburettor was the only thing in the existing generator system that could regulate a thing like gas release. A more extensive analysis was brought through two days later after the epicentre of the explosion had cooled down and had been stabilised structurally as a temporary measure, concluding the same thing, as part of the shell of the generator remained showing the explosion occurred in the centre, which the carburettor would have regulated. Members of the public called for an even more detailed examination as evidence came forward it might have been the work of intentional sabotage, but no such enquiry was made. Technician Joe Jones, however, was trialled and found not guilty for sabotage, but was given a mark on his employer's certificate effectively ruining his career for failing to recognise the gas leak. He was fined an undivulged sum of money, which would be used in rebuilding efforts. All nearby skyscrapers were evacuated, including the Hologloss Towers. Conspiracies also exist in numbers, calling the explosion too "convenient" having occurred on floor 25, the most important floor in the building, and commenting on how easy it would be for janitors to plot a bomb or the like. There is no way of truly knowing now that the remnants have been cleared or put in the March 22 Museum on floors 2-5. The Civic Council originally decided to demolish the building out of fear that repairing the structure would be costly after a prognosis delivered concluded the building was in critical shape. However, public outcry prevented the demolition from ensuing in April that year, and a sum of £10,000,000 ($13,000,000) (not inflation adjusted) was allocated in just 14 days. So, as a temporary measure, the council demolished floors 22-50 which were structurally dangerous and prevented entry to the building. Instead, Oakland-Towney Architects, who worked on the original building, created a new model for the structure, which was as economically efficient as possible, structurally less outdated, and retained original proportions. Several designs were considered, but the final design chosen was Perry Hardman's Neue Plan, a 51-storey building, 204m tall, which used the original footprint, and retained the surviving floors 1-21. There were a few differences; the floors were heavier in an exponential curve the lower you get down, meaning floor 1 and the foundations below it are capable of holding floors 2-51, as opposed to having 4 floors which essentially held the building's weight; all of the materials that could be salvaged were reused, although all of the original stainless steel exterior would be plated with red granite, and all of the glass would be tinted with dark gray from the exterior. Even the materials on floors which were not demolished were changed; such was the main source of the project's costliness. Aftermath After the ordeal, security tightened across the West City estate, and an act was passed into legislation whereby all generator equipment would be liable to updates annually. Some civilians believed this was not enough. Nearby Tenney House was converted to a museum dedicated to March 22, 1989. =New Building= Design & Structure The new Isosight Tower followed the same oblong footprint and shape as the original, being two adjoining rectangular structures connected at floor 25, each topped by a scalene 90° triangle. The new iteration was comparable to its predecessor in many architectural ways; each floor was capped at 4m exactly in height, with actual spacious height of around 3.7m and ceiling height of 0.3m. Floors below the 22nd storey were virtually unchanged on interior, and the rebuilt floors 22-50 and new floor 51 all followed the same interior design as the surviving ones. The lobby was given a makeover, however, using thick white granite padding and having the lobby span floors 1-2, giving it a height of 8m. Another change was the building's main exterior, which used salvaged metal from the original massive frame unit; the salvaged metal was then coated with a layer of red granite, and signs of visible damage or decay was covered. All of the windows were given an external tint of grey, not visible from the interior of the building. The original dark grey half-chevrons used on the exterior of the structure, which were windowless and lead composite, were similarly plated with red granite. A new external chevron was placed on the eastern third of the building's upper and lower half of its northern and southern facade, and the building's eastern front, bordering the lead half chevrons, would look different to the rest of the structure, using red-granite-coated metal-covered concrete with no existence of the metal columns common on the rest of the structure. See below thumbnail. Construction The original plan for the building was total demolition, as reparation was far too costly for a building that was fairly unremarkable. The demolition of floors 22-50 was a temporary measure to obviate potential collapse or to endanger nearby pedestrians. However, given the ordeal of March 22 and the building's existence on the West City skyline, a sum of £10,000,000 was fixed in just 14 days by public donors, which would be used to rebuild the building. With the money, the Civic Council — which owned the building — in lieu ran a professional contest for the building's redesign. Some 400 designs were considered, narrowed down to just 18, but ultimately Perry Hardman's Neue Plan won, out of its cost-effectiveness, retention of (most of) the building's dimensions, save for just one extra floor and a 4m taller overall structure, use of original floorplan, and footprint. His plan was praised for its efficiency, using materials from the original structure in any place possible, heavily demeaning the costs of the rebuilding. Work began just 6 months later, in September 1989. The construction was a fast process; the renovation of the building was the most time-consuming aspect. The building's height had already capped out by February 1990, as workers originally worked on the building's shell. Windows were added after the height had been met. For a while, the rebuilt portion of the building remained a shell, albeit with windows, as the entire thing had to be covered up using a massive robust tin sheet, which was bolted to widgets in the building's existing exterior, because the salvaged materials were prone to rust and had to be galvanised onsite. Meanwhile, the surviving building was progressively plated with red granite and covered up with scaffolding. All windows on the structure were externally covered with a thin grey mixture. The shell had been fully covered by salvaged metals by June 1990; the coating thereof with red granite would ensue until September of that year, when the building was more-or-less complete (and its exterior was fully complete), save for its roof, lobby, and most of its interior, which saw full refurbishment in 1991. The building was built more structurally sound that its previous form. Instead of relying on a number of structural floors, each floor of the building was ascendingly more heavy as you travelled down the building, using slightly thicker walls, material, and frames. The building's underground floors were shaped like a regular, symmetrical trapezium and composed of lead and concrete. A new generator system was fitted, which used some components of the original one, such as the existing sprinkler system. This generator was based underground, with massive copper wires travelling up the building inside of the concrete used on the building's external frame (which was covered up by the granite-coated steel) to conduct its current. This was to be updated or checked annually. The building still rested on the concrete ditch the original did. The new Isosight Tower was opened on November 8, 1991, after a streamlined construction process with little drawbacks thanks to the magnitude of its donations.